Our 5 favorite books of 2018

In this staggering gut-punch of a novel, Miranda July writes about an employee of a self-defense clinic with her trademark ferocious, dark humor.

The narratives of the disgraced people in Ronson’s book are engaging on their own, but Ronson’s insights into the impulse to shame others is what kept us riveted.

Written by the guy who won a Pulitzer for a biography of atomic-bomb creator J. Robert Oppenheimer, The Good Spy takes a more forgiving view of the espionage agency and the entirely human people who staff it.

It’s exceedingly well-written, and it’s a ridiculous amount of fun to read. But more than anything, it’s just so lovingly built and populated.

Beautifully printed, beautifully designed—this book is a complete series of Hiroshi Sugimoto’s seascapes.